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Kiszla: Blackhawks could provide Avs a much-needed rivalry

Tempers flare as the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche scuffle at the Pepsi Center on Friday. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

We need to start a new blood feud.

Who is there for Colorado sports fans to hate (in a good way)?

Here's hoping all those bandwagon Blackhawks fans who showed up wearing a red No. 88 to the Can didn't cut the price tag out of their replica jerseys, so they could return the merchandise within 24 hours after the Avalanche trashed Chicago 6-2 on Friday night.

"To end their streak is a good feeling," said Avs defenseman Erik Johnson, happy to be on the first team in 25 games this season to beat Chicago in regulation. "There's definitely going to be some animosity going forward."

As the final seconds of the third period ticked down, Avalanche fans taunted all the Hawks interlopers in the house with this chant: "End of streak! End of streak!"

The Denver Post's Adrian Dater and Mike Chambers post analysis, notes, video, chats and more on this blog focusing on the Colorado Avalanche.

Al Davis is dead, and the Broncos' rivalry with the Raiders isn't feeling so hot itself.

The Rockies? Please. They are the baseball equivalent of a homecoming win. No city hates the Rockies. They're cuddly losers.

Rocky the mascot vs. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook might be as close to bad blood as we have in this sports town. When the feud is based on a point guard blocking a furry mascot's shot during a timeout, I'm not sure if the ESPN folks at "30 for 30" are going to be rolling in to shoot a docudrama anytime soon.

It has been almost sixteen years since Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy duked it out with Mike Vernon at center ice in Detroit.

We need a fresh beef.

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In a realignment plan approved last week by NHL players, Colorado will soon be moving to a new division. The best part for the Avs?

Goodbye, Edmonton.

Hello, Chicago.

"That could start a rivalry," Johnson said.

As a child of Midwest winters, where the sun was no more than a rumor from Halloween until Easter, I happily fled to Colorado.

The Blackhawks are a better hockey team than the Avalanche, at least until Gabe Landeskog and Matt Duchene hit their prime.

But, as the hundreds of Windy City refugees in the Avs' arena can attest, when you're talking Denver vs. Chicago? It's no contest.